Ryan Gruhala and Kara Justis to Help Steer Regional Hospice Provider’s Expansion
NEW YORK, Feb. 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — PERA Holdings (“PERA” or “the Company”), a national manager of mid-sized regional hospice and palliative care providers, today announced two C-Suite hires at PERA and its wholly owned subsidiary HospiceServe, LLC. Ryan Gruhala was hired as CEO of HospiceServe, with responsibility for all HCA and HSA activities. Kara Justis was named Chief Commercial Officer of PERA, responsible for all sales, marketing and commercial activity for PERA and its subsidiaries. PERA is a portfolio company of Kain Capital, a New York-based private equity firm focused on the technology enablement of healthcare services companies.
PERA is comprised of a team of lifetime professional hospice providers and managers committed to best practices in clinical care and hospice administration. The Company’s mission is to provide the highest quality experience for patients and families facing end-of-life care, while minimizing the administrative burdens and supporting growth for providers and owners. PERA currently runs facilities in Colorado, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma.
“We’re delighted to welcome Ryan and Kara to the PERA family,” said Steven Yecies, Co-Chairman of PERA and Managing Director at Kain Capital. “Ryan has a strong track record of delivering growth and quality services to senior patients in our region. We will rely on Kara’s deep sales and marketing experience to showcase the transformational hospice technology and services that drive our business. Together, they will help drive our expansion as we bring our track record of providing excellent care to new markets.”
Mr. Gruhala has 18 years of experience as an executive in multi-site senior living and post-acute care. Before joining PERA, Mr. Gruhala spent more than five years at Ascension, most recently as Chief Operating Officer at Ascension Living, which operates 46 sites in 12 states with a team of 3,700 employees. Mr. Gruhala oversaw all financial aspects of the organization and helped develop strategic plans and implement KPI measures to advance the company’s long-term goals. Earlier in his career, he was Regional Director of Operations at both Cedarhurst Senior Living and Platinum Health Care. Mr. Gruhala holds an M.A. in Human Resources Management from Webster University and a B.S. from Missouri State University in Springfield. He is a licensed nursing home administrator in the states of Kansas and Missouri and has served on the Boards of Leading Age Kansas and the Missouri Health Care Association.
Ms. Justis has worked with numerous hospice agencies and palliative care companies to establish best practices in sales and marketing, and to enhance their commercial operations. Prior to joining PERA, she served as VP of Strategic Consulting at market research and commercial consulting firm Trella Health. Before that, she was VP of Growth Solutions at home healthcare company Amedisys, and earlier, she was a Director at Simione Consultants. Ms. Justis holds an MBA and a B.S. from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
“Kain Capital is committed to building the best hospice service in the country, and people like Ryan and Kara will help make that a near-term reality,” said Kunal Kain, Founder and Managing Partner at Kain Capital. “We are proud to support PERA as the Company continues on its growth trajectory.”
About PERA Holdings
PERA (www.perahospice.com) acquires well-run, mid-sized local and regional hospice providers whose owners are seeking capital, advanced technology capabilities, compliance and regulatory support, and additional management resources to enhance and grow their offerings. With its 2022 acquisition of Hospice Care of America (HCA), PERA now operates seven hospice and palliative care licenses across Colorado, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. PERA places a premium on providing a personal touch across the board, treating patients, families, employees, and volunteers with empathy and compassion.
About Kain Capital LLC
Kain Capital is a private equity firm focused on investments in healthcare services and information technology companies. The firm partners with founders and entrepreneurs seeking additional capital, technology capability and resources to enhance and grow their existing services. Kain Capital does not utilize debt in its investments so that capital can be focused on maximizing growth and the quality of services to patients. More information about Kain Capital can be found at www.kaincap.com
Contact:
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Joanne Lessner, jlessner@lambert.com, 212-222-7436
Caroline Luz, cluz@lambert.com, 203-570-6462
SOURCE Kain Capital LLC